TLDR: Meta’s ambitious Superintelligence AI Lab (MSL) is reportedly grappling with a significant exodus of top researchers, with at least eight key personnel departing just two months after its launch. Several of these high-profile exits include researchers rejoining or moving to rival AI powerhouse OpenAI, intensifying the talent war in the artificial intelligence sector. This development raises questions about Meta’s long-term competitiveness in the pursuit of artificial general intelligence.
Meta Platforms’ recently established Superintelligence AI Lab (MSL), a cornerstone of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for ‘personal superintelligence,’ is reportedly facing an unexpected challenge: a significant outflow of its top research talent. Just two months after its grand announcement, at least eight key researchers have departed the division, with a notable number opting to join or return to rival OpenAI.
Among the high-profile departures is AI scientist Rishabh Agarwal, who joined Meta in April with a reported ‘million-dollar salary’ but announced his exit after just five months. Agarwal, who has a 7.5-year career spanning Google Brain, DeepMind, and Meta, stated on X that he felt ‘the pull to take on a different kind of risk,’ though his next destination remains undisclosed.
Other prominent researchers returning to OpenAI include Avi Verma and Ethan Knight, both of whom had brief stints at Meta. Verma was previously an OpenAI researcher, while Knight had worked at OpenAI, Elon Musk’s xAI, and then Meta before his return. Chaya Nayak, Meta’s director of generative AI product management, has also moved to OpenAI to work on special initiatives, as has senior staff engineer Afroz Mohiuddin.
The talent drain extends beyond OpenAI-bound individuals. Bert Maher, a 12-year Meta veteran, has joined Anthropic. Tony Liu, a manager of PyTorch GPU systems for over eight years, is venturing out to launch a newsletter focused on scaling AI systems. Chi-Hao Wu, an AI specialist, departed after five years to become chief AI officer at the startup Memories.ai. Additionally, Aram Markosyan, a research scientist specializing in safety and fairness for large AI models, has also left, with his future plans currently unclear.
These departures come despite Meta’s aggressive recruitment strategy, which reportedly involved offering ‘multi-million-dollar compensation packages’ and ‘nine-figure pay packages’ to attract elite AI talent from competitors like Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and xAI. The intense competition for AI experts has even drawn criticism, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly calling Meta’s hiring tactics ‘distasteful’ in an internal memo, noting, ‘I’ve lost track of how many people from here they’ve tried to get to be their Chief Scientist.’
In response to the exits, Meta spokesperson Dave Arnold characterized them as ‘normal,’ explaining that ‘During an intense recruiting process, some people will decide to stay in their current job rather than starting a new one.’ However, these early departures from MSL raise significant questions about Meta’s ability to effectively compete in the high-stakes race for artificial general intelligence.
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Adding another layer to the situation, Meta reportedly implemented a hiring freeze in its AI division around August 21-22, 2025, following its aggressive talent acquisition phase. This freeze is part of a broader restructuring of its Superintelligence Labs into four specialized groups, aimed at creating a more ‘solid structure’ for its AI endeavors. This strategic shift also coincides with growing concerns in Silicon Valley about an ‘AI investment bubble’ and doubts regarding the actual returns on massive AI investments.
